It would be a best choice to make reservation of rooms early enough. Foreign travelers are advised to contact hotels through their receivers, travel agencies or friends or by fax to make reservation of rooms and to confirm their special requirements on accommodation before they come to China.

So far, major hotels in China have been brought in line with international standards in terms of facilities and services. In particular, most of the superior hotels are Sino-foreign joint ventures. Foreigners are engaged in directly managing some hotels. Meanwhile, the hotels have been graded comprehensively in accordance with the degree of luxuriousness of their auxiliary facilities and standards of services, with the five-star being the highest grade.

Hotels in China are classified into different classes in line with the number of stars for their grades. The five-star hotels and most of the four-star ones are in the top class. The guestrooms in the top class hotels are all equipped with bathrooms, refrigerators, gradevins, IDD telephone and TV, which is accessible to programs sent out by all TV stations in China and by CNN and BBC received through satellite antenna discs as well as offer closed-circuit TV programs. The temperature in the guestrooms is automatically adjustable by central air-conditioning facilities. Other auxiliary facilities include business centers, conference centers, beauty parlors, sauna bathrooms, foreign exchange counters, bowling centers, disco ballrooms, swimming pools, gymnasiums, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers and bars which open 24 hours a day.

Guestroom service facilities of the three-star and part two-star hotels are slightly inferior to those of the top class hotels. Tourist groups normally wish to stay in second class hotels.

Hotels of lower star grades look much like Motels in Western countries in terms of guestroom service facilities. The hardware facilities in such hotels are of course inferior to those mentioned above. But they offer prices lower by half or even more. So, many tourists wish to stay in such hotels.

Customers do not have to pay tips for staying in hotels in China.

In China, taxi drivers, hotel attendants, guestroom cleaners, hotel porters and restaurant waiters are not encouraged to ask for tips. Where anyone seeks tips from customers, they may refuse or lodge complaints to competent authorities.